Cute Bikers

Met these bikerss at a traffic light on via Po. Occasionally see them riding along the street wearing cute helmets, but not sure if it's always the same group.

They looked friendly...

Location: Via Po

Men Dressed Up

Not sure what was happening, we were walking under the arcade along via Po, two figures with mini skirts walked past us.

When I took a look, I realised that they were actually two men.

Since they were just causally chatting with each other, not disturbing anyone, thus, no one actually made a fuss about their appearance. 

The most, some people gave them a glance with slight surprise.

Come to think about it, in Torino, people are seldom get offended by 'out' of norm appearance or behaviour.

Location : Via Po

Halloween Display

Halloween is not really an Italian celebration, however, more and more kids and young ones are beginning to enjoy dressing up for the occasion. 

A particular shop along via Po displaying various choices of having fun to be a monster for the special day. Even the flower monster from 'Stranger Things' is here.

Location : Via Po

CNY Under The Arcade

There is quite a huge chinese community in Turin, last few years there were celebration for the Chinese New Year in the center. 

This year, obviously due to the Covid, no celebration was held, but instead, decoration banners explaining various traditions of the Chinese New Year are hung under the arcade along via Po. Pretty interesting to read through them, but how many people do actually stopped and read them?

Location : Via Po

Winter Under The Arcade

He is always there sitting under the arcade along via Po, looks extremely alone in winter and especially this winter.

He is just one of the many homeless sleeping under the various arcades in the town, they do their best to protect themselves from the cold and the arcades provide a certain shelter for them.

 

Many like him, stays at the same spot everyday, so visible and yet so invisible, as if he is part of the structure, people pass by everyday and hardly take note of his existence....

 

Location : Via Po

Maneuver under The Arcade

By laws, cycling or travelling on any form of PMD ( Personal Mobility Device ) are not all allowed under the arcade.

However, nobody seems to care about the laws, everyday while we walk under the arcade, always have to be careful not to be knocked down by speeding bicycles or PMD. 

Just the other night, while walking under the arcade, there were also a group of middle age women walking towards our direction. Two boys were riding on the sharing PMD coming from behind us, which by laws the PMD is not allowed to carry more than one person. They honked us to give way while they were having fun speeding, regardless of the safety of the other people.


We voiced our concern about they were actually breaking the laws, in return they gave us the middle finger.

Further up along the arcade, they were then stopped by a local police who was there checking on a car by the road side. The boys got down from their PMD, got questioned, but instead of getting registered for their offence, they were let go with just a verbal warning.

So they walked away, pushing their PMD along. Next, just after a few distance, they got up the PMD again together and rode off happily, speeding again.

So, what is the deal of the policeman? Was he not doing his job?


Location : Via Po/ Via Roma

Breakfast Under The Arcade

Under the arcades of Turin, there are full of restaurants and bars, during summer, and especially now that the Covid-19 is still 'in the air', most people choose to sit outside, in many cases which means under the arcade to dine. 

Location : Via Po

Saturday Release

People were everywhere in the center on Saturday, the first day after the lockdown restaurants, bars and shops were allowed to reopen for business.

 Under the arcade along via Po where there are many restaurants and bars, tables were setup under the arcade, placed in a safety distance between each table.

Due to the fact that tables were setup along the arcade where people walked through, so the space to walk was reduced significantly, so basically there was no safety distance between people walking under the arcade, either one was brushing with other people walking along or one was walking too close to the people sitting at the tables.

At the piazza, group of people were enjoying their freedom to take a walk and to gather with friends to chat, it seems that the restrictions for the reopening were forgotten completely.


Somehow, I miss the empty street during the lockdown.


Location : via Po/ Piazza Castello

Torino SottoSopra

On Sunday, a demostration with music and songs was carried out along via Po. 

To voice against the recent attacks against nightlife hide the attempt to normalize young people's lives.

 
Highlighting the urban feeling of freedom that suffers from having been "torn down": "Events, music, have disappeared from the city outdoors".

On the floats of the Carnival «Torino Sotto Sopra" .


Location : Via Po

Windows Shopping

Among all the shopping streets in Turin, via Po has the most cosy atmosphere for windows shopping.

 
There are beautiful, colorful window displays, a great variety of shops and between shops there are cafes and restaurants which set up tables under the arcade, and when evening approaches, the lights from the shops and the arcade ceiling create a quite amazing effect.

Location : Via Po

Portici Series Via Po

The arcade in Via Po starts from piazza Castello up until piazza Vittorio, it is characterised by a serie of old books stalls under the arcade on one side of the street which is near the University.

Location : Via Po

TDoR

Transgender Day of Remembrance, as per last year, Torino held the Trans freedom March in November.

 It is particularly important this year to take this occasion to remine us of treating people with respect and kindness, with equality and no discrimination, since the present government is heading towards spreading hatres and discrimination towards minorities.

often people says : Be who you are, but then when regarding sexual orientation or wanting to be the gender you identify yourself to be, many still can't simply accept and respect individual's choice.

 

 

 

 

Epic Battle

The city life can be quite violent, the other there was a battle between two dangerous creatures by the side of via Po, in front of the passer-by.

Not sure if anyone was injured .....

Pride 2018

Another day for Pride Torino, on the 16 of June, 120 thousands people marched with pride and joy from piazza Statuto until piazza Vittorio to celebrate the rights and equality for the GLBT community and not only.

Having a new government with ministers who openly display homophobia and racism opinions, it is even more important for such an event to let people show their stand against the hatred and discrimination of those in power.

 

 

Joining the Torino Pride were 30 or so chinese parents and their gay children who came all the way from china to participate in the march.

TFM

The TFM (Trans Freedom March ) was on the 18th of November, it started from piazza Vittorio and ended in piazza Castello, despite of the cold weather, the attendance was very satisfying.

 

 

At piazza Castello, speeches were made and songs were performed to remember and to call attention to the discrimination and suffering of the trans, and called for their freedom to live their lives as equale to any other people.